


Domestic Bliss

by Egobang_for_dayz



Series: Street Artist AU [2]
Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Drifter!Dan, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Polyamory Negotiations, Sequel, Street Artist!Arin, Street Artist!Ross
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-04-26 23:32:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14412858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Egobang_for_dayz/pseuds/Egobang_for_dayz
Summary: Dan meets someone new, and things start to change. Will Dan and Arin stand strong, or will it all fall apart?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Welcome to the sequel to Let's Paint the Town Red! If you haven't read that yet, please go back and do so ❤️

Dan grunted awake as an arm landed across his chest. Arin, in his still sleeping state, had reached across Dan to silence the alarm. He missed though. Dan pushed Arin's arm off of him and fumbled with his phone, silencing the alarm. 

"Come on baby bear, time to get up. We both have work." Dan mumbled, prodding Arin in the side. Arin's eyebrows twitched but he continued to snore. Dan got up and stumbled into the bathroom, he'd let Arin sleep while he showered. 

Dan was standing in front of the mirror with a towel around his waist after his shower when Arin came stumbling into the bathroom as well. 

"No it's fine, I wasn't in here or anything." Dan rolled his eyes affectionately at the younger man. Arin grunted in reply and continued on to empty his bladder from the night before. He was usually a shy pee-er, but Dan didn't count. After washing his hands, Arin slid his hands around Dans waist from behind and leaned his cheek against Dans shoulder. Dan reached up to scratch at Arin's scalp, and Arin made a happy noise that sounded an awful lot like a purr. "You really are a big cat." Dan muttered. Arin grunted again. He wasn't much of a talker first thing in the morning. Dan managed to peel Arin off of him and left him to his own shower. Dan got dressed and headed downstairs, fixing bowls of cereal for both of them. Arin took shorter showers than Dan, since he took cold showers. Dan would never understand that, showers were warm sanctuaries. Arin came downstairs and kissed Dan hello. 

"Thanks for making my cereal babe." Arin was finally fully awake. Dan nodded at him and they ate in comfortable silence. Dan cleared the dishes away and Arin went out to warm up the car. It was getting to be fall, and Dan always complained about the cold. So, Arin would get the heat going every morning before Dan got in the car. 

Dan got in a few minutes later, bundled in one of Arin's sweatshirts. It was the sweatshirt Arin had given him that very first morning, and Arin had come to accept he was never going to get it back. Besides, Dan was adorable in it and Arin wasn't going to put a stop to that. When he pulled up the cafe they kissed goodbye, and dan went to his shift. 

\---

"Has he come by yet?" Dan asked Barry. They were on their lunch break together, and Ross and Arin had come by for theirs as well. 

"Who?" Arin questioned, looking between Dan and Barry.

"No, he hasn't." Barry answered; and Dan almost looked disappointed. 

"Who the hell are you guys talking about?" Arin raised a brow at Dan. 

"The hot new regular. Danny's got a crush." Barry snickered. Dan smacked his shoulder. 

"I do not!" Dan tried to defend himself. Barry only laughed harder. 

"Hot new regular?" Ross spoke up, a tinge of jealousy to his voice. Barry leaned over and kissed his boyfriend on the cheek. 

"Yes, he's hot. There's a guy who's been coming in for his lunch break every day for the last two weeks. But don't worry babe, he's only got eyes for danny-boy." Barry reassured Ross. Dan buried his face in his hands, a blush taking over him, and that made Arin laugh. 

It hadn't been easy at first, watching Dan go on dates with others, or the nights he stayed with them instead of Arin. But Arin had learned to love the way Dan spoke excitedly about someone, watching his eyes light up and his face split into a smile. Arin had also learned to absolutely hate when Dan came home sad, and disappointed. There had been a couple of people who stood Dan up, and Arin had wanted to track them down and hurt them for taking away Dan's smile. Not that he ever would, but he wanted to protect Dan. 

So, Arin joined in the teasing. "Danny's got a crush huh?" Arin nudged Dan with his elbow. Dan put his head down on the table. 

"Please god let me disappear. I do not have a crush! And he's not into me! He is way out of my league." Dan said defensively, though it was muffled by the table. He heard the tinkling of the bell above the door and dan sat straight up, whipping around to look. His shoulders slumped when it wasn't the man he had been hoping to see. Arin laughed at Dan's reaction, he looked like a puppy waiting for their owner to come home. 

The hot new regular did come in, just after Arin and Ross left to return to their own work. He sat right in the front row like he always did. He sipped his coffee and watched Dan play, tapping his foot and nodding along to the music. Dan forced himself look away from the stranger, or he found himself too nervous to continue playing. It was strange, the effect this man had on Dan. He didn't usually get nervous, but something about this man's serious expression and his watchful gaze made Dan want to impress him. 

\---

"So did you talk to him?" Arin asked as they sat down for dinner that night. Ross was over at Barry's and wouldn't be back that night, so they had the house to themselves. Dan pushed his food around his plate to avoid answering. 

"No." Dan finally answered quietly. It was rare he couldn't get the courage to ask someone out, but something about this man made him feel like a teenager trying to talk to girls for the first time. 

"You should, man. I'm sure he's just as nervous about talking to you." Arin tries to encourage. Dan scoffed. He would just be satisfied with appreciating the man from afar. Arin decided to let the conversation drop. Dan would make a move on his own time. 

\---

"Hey Ar?" Dan whispered into the dark room. Arin jerked awake and Dan kicked himself. He should have stayed quiet. 

"What's up baby?" Arin mumbled, words slurring only slightly. 

"Do you think I have a chance with that regular?" Dan felt Arin shift under him and felt a kiss to the top of his head. 

"Of course you do. Just be yourself and he'll be all over you." Arin sounded a little more awake. Dan nodded against him. 

"I love you." Dan said quietly after a long moment. He heard something that sounded only vaguely like "love you too kitten" and dan smiled to himself. He fell asleep, feeling lucky to have Arin by his side.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan learns the identity of the mysterious man at the cafe.

Danny had the next few days off with Arin. They spent them running errands and doing work that needed doing around the house. Dan tended to the laundry and dishes usually, having the most relaxed work schedule of anyone in the house. Arin helped him clean when he could. 

As Sunday night came, threatening to give way to Monday, Dan realized he was probably going to see the new regular and he felt his heart rate pick up. He was frustrated with himself for being so nervous, he could almost always approach people he was interested in. But not this time. 

"You ok?" Arin asked as they were snuggled up to watch a movie on the couch. Ross and Barry were upstairs, and Dan and Arin were pretending they didn't know what was going on up there. Dan looked up from where he was laying. He had his head on Arin's lap and his legs across the rest of the couch. Arin smiled down at him and ran his fingers lightly through the older man's curls. 

"Yeah, I just realized I'm probably going to see that regular tomorrow, and I'm nervous." Dan admitted honestly. Arin smirked at him. 

"I knew you had a crush." Arin teased. Dan groaned and moved to roll off the couch but Arin put a hand on his chest and stopped him. "Hey, I'm sorry. I'm just teasing. It's going to be fine. You should at least introduce yourself tomorrow." Arin encouraged. Dan thought for a moment and nodded. At the very least, he could do that. 

They watched movies until Dan fell asleep. Arin scooped him up bridal style and carried him to their bed after turning off the tv. Dan stirred a little, but not much as Arin laid him in bed and climbed in next to him. 

\---

When Dan walked into the cafe the next day, the regular was already there, seated in the front row as always. Dan looked at Barry a little panicked. 

"He's been here since we opened. I think he's waiting for you." Barry teased.

"No, maybe he just likes it here. I doubt he's waiting for me. Besides, he's probably not even gay." 

"Oh he's gay." Barry looked smug. 

"How can you be so sure?" Dan asked, rolling his eyes. Barry just shrugged and Dan shook his head and went into the back room, ignoring Barry's snickers behind him. Why was that guy here so early? Dan wondered as he set down his belongings. When he went out to the stool, the regular was watching him carefully. Dan offered up a small smile and the man smiled back. Dan felt his heart leap into his throat and he swallowed hard. 

His playing was off at first, his fingers felt stiff. He tried hard not to focus on the man, but he kept stealing glances. Every time he did, the other man's eyes were still trained on him, boring holes into his very core. Barry came over holding a steaming cup of tea and dan gratefully took it. He closed his eyes and sipped on it, taking deep breaths to calm his racing heart. 

Placing the mug on the ground beside him, dan took another breath. He kept his eyes closed and just played, letting the music flow through him. He focused on the notes and the songs, keeping his mind from drifting to the strange man sitting in the front row. 

Part of Dan hoped that when he opened his eyes again, the regular would be gone. But another part of him was urging him to just get up and introduce himself. Dan remained seated, playing through until his lunch break. 

When he did finally break, and set his guitar down in the stand next to him, Dan stood and stretched. He carried the now empty mug back to the counter and handed it to Barry. Dan leaned against the counter and chatted with Barry for a few moments before Barry suddenly cut himself off and turned around. 

"Excuse me." A low voice came from behind Dan. Dan opened his mouth to apologize for being in the way and turned around, only to come face to face with the new regular. Dan closed his mouth and lost all ability to speak. "I really love your playing, you're extremely talented." The man smiled warmly and Dan fought to slow his racing heart. 

"Th-thanks." Dan managed, cursing himself for stuttering. Where was all of his confidence? What about this man turned him into a terrified schoolboy? 

"Here. Give me a call sometime, let's get coffee?" The man held his hand out and there was a white slip of paper in between his first two fingers. Hand shaking, Dan took the paper. He held it against his chest.

"I have a boyfriend." Dan blurted out. That wasn't at all what he meant to say! Why would he say that? Disappointment flickered across the other man's eyes but he nodded and took a step back. "Wait!" Dan held out a hand and the man eyes him curiously. "That's not what I meant. I would love to get coffee with you." Dan smiled shyly. He could hear Barry stifling a laugh behind him. Barry would pay for that later. 

"Listen, I'm not a home wrecker." The man said carefully. Dan shook his head. 

"No no! I promise I'm not like that either. I'll explain on our date." Dan hoped he could salvage the situation but knew he was doing a terrible job. Arin had been so much easier, he had just woken up in Arin's house. Finally, the man nodded.

"Ok, give me a call then." The man turned away. 

"Wait!" Dan called again. The man turned back to him. "I never got your name." The man held his hand out to Dan. 

"Brian."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Tumblr if you want, my asks are always open! @onlyhereforegobang


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brian and dan have their first date!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So so so sorry this took so long to get out. This fic has not been abandone, I will be finishing it I swear ❤️ I've just been struggling with motivation and I got a new job and that was a lot to worry about. I'm back now!

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor dude." Arin said from where he was sitting at the table. He had his tablet in front of him and was watching his boyfriend pace in the kitchen. 

It was Dan's first date with Brian, and he was nervous. He pulled his shirt down for the hundredth time. It was just a casual coffee date, they weren't really going anywhere special. Dan was in a nice pair of jeans and a faded band shirt. "Should I put my hair up?" Dan asked, turning to Arin. Arin thought for a moment and then stood, gesturing for Dan to follow him. He lead Dan into the bathroom in the hall. 

"Sit on the toilet, facing the wall." Arin ordered. Dan followed his command and Arin pulled out a comb and a hair tie. He started gently combing through Dan's hair before pulling back into a low ponytail. Dan could do it himself, but Arin knew having someone do his hair made Dan relax and he needed to chill out for this date. Just as Arin was finishing up, a knock sounded on the front door and Dan all but jumped off the toilet. 

"Do you want to come meet him?" Dan asked, pausing in the hallway. Arin waved him off with a smile and Dan disappeared. They had an agreement that Arin didn't want to meet anyone unless it was serious, but Dan always checked anyway. Arin hadn't met any of Dan's dates so far, none of them turning out to be anything more than flings. But Dan had a good feeling about Brian. Something was definitely different. 

When Dan pulled the door open, Brian was standing there with a bouquet of sunflowers. Dan took them gingerly. "Wow Brian, these are beautiful." Dan ran back inside to place them on the counter before heading back out with Brian. They got into Brian's car and Dan felt a lot less nervous now that Brian was actually here. Brian turned up the radio as he pulled the car out. 

"Oh fuck yeah! Rush!" Dan exclaimed as he realized what band was coming through the speakers. Dan reached foreword and turned it up more. 

"You a Rush fan?" Brian asked, amused. Dan nodded and sang along, jamming out to the radio. He turned it back down as the song faded. 

"Hell yeah I am, Rush is only the greatest band ever." Brian laughed at that, but did not disagree. They discussed music as they drove, finding they shared a lot of favorites. 

They pulled up to an unfamiliar coffee shop. Dan hadn't wanted Barry, Holly and Suzy to be eavesdropping his whole date. Brian insisted Dan sit down while he waited for their drinks. Brian returned to the booth shortly, placing the tea dan had requested in front of him. 

"So, how did you come to LA?" Brian asked casually. He smiled at dan from across the table. Dan faltered- did he tell Brian the truth? 

"I just sort of... ended up here. Needed a new place, picked here at random. I've been here about a year now." Dan settled on a half truth. There was no need to dredge everything up, not on a first date. Brian nodded along. 

"Yeah I get that. I moved here from New York probably five years back now." Dan sat up in surprise. 

"I'm from New Jersey!" Dan couldn't help breaking out into a grin. Brian looked at him and laughed, at the coincidence and at Dan's joy. They shared fond memories of the east coast, and found out they had been in New York around the same time, but they never crossed paths. 

Not long into their date, one of the barista's came up to their table. She placed a napkin in front of Brian, with a number and a name scrawled across it. Dan understood, Brian was an extremely handsome man. Brian did not look as pleased as Dan would have expected. He pushed the napkin back towards her, and she frowned. 

"I'm sorry; but I'm gay. And currently on a date." Brian gestured to Dan. The barista opened her mouth as if to respond, but instead swept up the napkin and returned to the counter. She looked embarrassed and didn't look at their booth again. 

"Oh, you're gay?" Dan asked, kicking himself a little because Brian had just said that. Brian raised an eyebrow at him. 

"Yeah, what about you?" Brian asked. Dan sat back and realized he didn't have an answer. He had never really thought about it. When he lived in New York, he thought he was straight. But over the course of his drifting, he had found himself more open. He had never stopped to consider his sexuality, it was whoever had a warm bed for him to sleep in that night, or whoever was paying him for their night together. Even now, he loved Arin, but he dated all sorts of people. "Danny?" Brian's voice cut through his thoughts. 

"Oh, I'm sorry. You just made me realize I've never really thought about it. I guess I don't have much of a label, just whoever I'm attracted to is who I'm attracted to." Dan shrugged. "Wait-did you just call me danny?" Despite the fact that many called him danny, for some reason it sounded more endearing coming from Brian. It filled him with the same flutter as when Arin said his name. 

"Is that not ok?" Brian asked, fearing he had stepped over the line. Dan shook his head. 

"No, just caught me off guard. I love it." Dan grinned at Brian. 

"So, about the boyfriend situation you mentioned?" Brian seemed hesitant to bring up the topic. 

"Oh yeah! I live with my boyfriend, we've been together for almost a year now. But we're open. So this is totally fine. He actually did my hair for this date." Dan absentmindedly reached up to futz with the ponytail that Arin had managed to wrangle his hair into. 

"Did he want to meet me? I didn't mean to be rude." 

"No, he only wants to meet people Im serious about." Brian seemed satisfied with that answer and relaxed a bit. The conversation flowed easily, drifting from topic to topic. Dan felt none of the nerves from earlier. They talked like old friends, Brian sharing stories from his time in New York. Dan shared some stories, but opted to leave out a lot of details. He still wasn't sure how Brian would react to the fact that he had once been a drifter.

"Wait, so where do you work?" Dan asked as Brian finished a story about a coworker. 

"Oh, I'm a forensic analyst for the LAPD." Brian answered casually. Dan fought to keep the panic off his face. He must have succeeded, cause Brian continued talking. Dan wasn't listening anymore though. His mind was on the box buried in Arin's closet, that held respirators and spray paint cans. Dan shook himself internally and focused back on what Brian was saying, nodding along.

"So what does a forensic analyst do?" Dan hoped his shaking voice was only in his head. 

"I collect evidence and help detectives put it together as well as running finger prints, DNA, that sort of thing." Brian looked pleased that dan was interested in his job. Dan took a deep breath. He had never told anyone Arin's other identity; and he wasn't about to now, so there was no reason for Dan to panic. They shifted away from the topic again, and dan fully relaxed. He wasn't sure how Arin would feel knowing Brian is a cop, but that was a problem for future Dan. For now, Dan was just going to enjoy his date with a hot guy. 

A few hours flew by before dan had even noticed, and they were back in the car heading back to Arin's. the ride back was quiet, but in a comfortable way, with the radio filling any empty space. When they parked, Brian got out and came around to open Dan's door for him. He walked dan to the front door. 

"Well, this was lovely. I would absolutely love to go on another date with you, if you want to." Brian spoke as if he already knew the answer. Dan nodded and grinned. 

"Yeah man! I'd love to go on another date." Dan opened his arms for a hug and Brian hesitated before taking him up on his offer. Dan briefly worried he had been too forward, but Brian hugged him tightly. With that Brian left, and Dan headed inside to recount his day to Arin.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan and Brian spend their first night together, but things don't go exactly as planned.

Even after their date, Brian continued to come to the cafe everyday. He told dan he liked to come here on his lunch breaks. Dan was always excited to see him, and spent his own breaks chatting with him. Arin always seemed to just miss him, coming in with Ross on their lunch break. 

Arin loved watching the light shine in Dan's eyes when he talked about Brian. It had been a long road over the last year, with therapies and episodes and as-needed anxiety medications. Dan had been fighting hard to get himself healthy, both physically and mentally, and Arin was so proud of him. The episodes were much farther in between now, though they were still there. Dan's therapist said it was unlikely they would ever stop completely. Slowly, Dan had opened up more to Arin about the things he did on the streets to keep himself alive. Arin had been a little horrified, only because it was hard to imagine the man he loved so much in such a dire situation. 

\---

"Are you free this weekend?" Brian asked sitting across from Dan in the cafe. Dan thought for a moment before nodding. "I was wondering if you'd like to come over to my place Friday night, I'll make us dinner and maybe you can stay over?" Brian offered, sounding a little hopeful. They had been on a few coffee dates, and one dinner date. Dan paused for a moment. He knew what Brian was offering, more than just dinner and sleeping over. 

"Yeah, I think that'd be a lot of fun." Dan smiled and took Brian's hand across the table. Dan didn't really believe in waiting long for sex in a relationship, especially with how comfortable he felt with Brian already. It was like it had been years, not just a month and some change. 

When dan got into the car after work that day, he was practically vibrating with excited energy. 

"What's got you so happy? See Brian today?" Arin asked, smiling. None of the previous flings had made Dan so happy. Arin was happy for him, though a bit wary. He did not want to see Dan heartbroken. Arin had seen the days before Dan's smile, and wanted nothing more than for those days to be a distant memory. 

"Yup!" Dan answered, popping the 'p'. He grinned at Arin. "He invited me for dinner at his place, and to stay over afterwards." Dan looked at Arin hopefully, almost expecting him to say no. But Arin just smiled back at him. 

"Wow, that sounds exciting! You definitely need more than one man to cook for you, Mr. skinny mini." Arin joked. Dan glared at him, but he was still smiling. Dan asked Arin about his day, and listened to him rant about a particularly frustrating frame he had been working on all day. Dan didn't understand animating much, but loved to listen to Arin talk with so much passion. 

\---

Friday came faster than dan had anticipated. He was just finishing packing up his backpack when he heard a knock on the front door. "Just a second!" He called. He zipped his backpack closed and headed to Arin's room. "Brian's here, so I'll see you tomorrow. I love you." Dan kissed Arin goodbye. 

"Have fun, be safe. If you need anything don't hesitate to call." Arin said when they parted. "I love you too babe." Arin added as dan turned to leave. Dan shot him one last grin before heading downstairs. Arin always worried a little when Dan stayed over at someone else's, and always left his phone volume all the way up on the off chance Dan needed him in the middle of the night. 

Dan opened the door to Brian. He pulled Brian into a hug and a quick peck on the cheek. "Ready?" Brian asked. Dan nodded and closed and locked the door behind him. Brian laced their fingers together and Dan felt his heart skip a beat. Brian made him feel the way Arin did, safe and secure and a thousand feet off the ground. 

\---

Brian had a small one bedroom apartment, thought it wasn't quite the bachelor pad Dan was expecting. It was clean, and organized. There was a massive bookshelf in the living room next to the tv, filled with books about science, forensics and various other things Dan did not understand. "You can set your stuff down anywhere, have a seat on the couch, make yourself at home. I'm going to start dinner." Brian smiled before disappearing into the kitchen. Dan set his backpack down by the door, and placed himself on the couch. There was a blanket draped over the back of the couch and out of habit Dan grabbed it and wrapped it around himself. Brian reappeared a moment later holding two glasses of wine. He held one out to dan but dan shook his head. 

"I'm sorry, I should have told you. I don't drink." Dan said apologetically. Brian pulled the glass back. 

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I should have asked. I've got soda, or water." Dan picked soda and Brian disappeared again before bringing dan out a soda. "You can pick something to watch, it'll be a few minutes before dinner is ready." Dan opted to leave the tv off and scrolled through his Instagram for a while instead. Brian called him to dinner and Dan shed his blanket. 

Brian had a small table in the dining room, with only two chairs. Dan sat at one and Brian took the other across from him. Dinner was alfredo pasta with chicken. Dan at least had remembered to warn Brian he couldn't eat red meat, he definitely didn't want his stomach problems getting in the way of their first night together. They chatted about their weeks, Brian had more stories from work. It always made dan a little nervous hearing about Brian's work on the police force but he swallowed his worry. Brian seemed so kind and down to earth, not like the typical cops. 

Brian cleared their plates away and offered Dan dessert, but he turned it down. With the dishes put away, they sat back on the couch, the blanket draped over them. Dan found himself leaning into Brian on autopilot. Brian draped an arm over his shoulders and pulled him close. They were watching some movie, but dan wasn't paying it any attention. His skin felt electric in all the places he was touching Brian. He tried to will his heart to stop pounding but it refused to listen. He was a little nervous, as spending the night with a new person always was a little scary, but Dan took a deep breath. He trusted Brian, or he wouldn't be here. 

 

At some point in the movie, Brian turned to Dan and kissed his temple. Dan turned to look at Brian. There was a heated look in the other man's eyes. With no warning Brian leaned forward. Dan let his eyes slip close and their lips melt. Dan felt heat rush from his face down to his toes. Brian stood up and offered a hand to Dan. "Should we go to the bedroom instead?" Dan took Brian's hand and Brian pulled him to his feet, they kissed again just as passionately, leaving dan panting when they parted. Brian led Dan down the hallway to his bedroom. 

\---

Arin was laying on the couch scrolling through Instagram the next morning. His empty bowl of cereal was sitting on the coffee table next to him. The lock on the front door clicked open. Arin looked at the time on his phone. 9:30 am. That was weirdly early for Dan to be coming home. Arin sat up as the door pushed open and sure enough, there was Dan. He looked... sad? The light was gone from his eyes. Arin's brows furrowed as he regarded his boyfriend with concern. "Babe? How was it? Are you ok?" Arin asked moving to get up. 

"I don't want to talk about it." Dan answered, his voice sounding defeated. Arin stayed where he was and watched as Dan disappeared up the stairs. He knew dan well enough to know when Dan should be left alone. This was one of those times. Arin's phone chimed in his hand with a text and he opened the message. 

Suz: hey is danny sick?

Arin: I don't know. Why?

Suz: he just text me he won't be in for a few days. Take care of him ok?

Arin: always. 

Arin locked his phone again and set it down on the table. Now he was really worried. Dan never took off from work, it's what made him the happiest. He only took time off when he was forced to. Arin looked up the stairs where Dan had disappeared. Fear sat like a rock in the out of Arin's stomach. 

What had Brian done?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arin finally meets Brian.

"Danny?" Arin knocked gently on the guest room door. It had been a few hours since Dan had come home and promptly shut himself away. Arin was balancing a plate with a sandwich and some chips. "Can I come in? I've got lunch." 

"'M not hungry." Came the quiet reply, followed by a sniffle. 

"You gotta eat man, for me?" Arin tries again. There was a pause. 

"Alright, come in." Dan caved. Arin pushed the door open and his heart broke when he saw Dan. The older man was curled up under the blankets, just his hair peaking out, splayed across the pillow in the middle of the bed. Arin closed the door behind him and crossed the room, setting the plate down on the nightstand. He sat on the edge of the bed and put a hand on the lump under the covers. Gently he tugged the blanket down away from Dan's face. Dan met his gaze with wet eyes, tear tracks running down his face. Arin had to take a breath to keep himself from crying himself. 

"Do you want to talk about what happened? Suzy said you called out of work for a few days. I'm worried about you." Arin spoke in a gentle voice, as if any louder would make Dan hide away from him again. Dan sighed and wriggled until he was sitting up. He looked down at the bed and picked at the loose threads on the blankets of the bed. 

"I think Brian's just using me. I thought he was different but he's like everyone else." Dan spoke bitterly. 

"Oh baby. I'm so sorry. Come here." Arin opened his arms and dan didn't waste a second scooting closer to him and clinging to him, burying his face in Arin's chest. Arin wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and rubbed his back. Arin swallowed hard, trying to swallow the lump of anger growing in him. Arin held Dan while he cried against him until Dan pulled away and sat back. He wiped at his eyes. 

"I'm sorry I'm such a mess. I just really liked him." Dan muttered. 

"It's fine, I promise. I love you and I'm here for you." Arin kissed Dan's forehead and that brought a small smile to Dan's face. Arin retrieved the plate of lunch. "I know you don't feel like it right now, but please try to eat something." Arin tried. Dan was silent for a moment before nodding. He took the plate from Arin and managed half the sandwich and a few chips before setting the plant back on the nightstand. 

"Will you snuggle with me for a while?" Dan asked shyly. Arin smiled at him and motioned for him to lay down. Arin laid down behind him and got under the covers, pulling dan close against him. Dan turned around so his face was buried in Arin's chest again. 

\---

Arin went into the cafe the next day. Barry was behind the counter and holly and Suzy were standing next to it discussing something, and Ross was standing with them. They all looked up. 

"Is Danny ok?" Barry asked when Arin was close enough. 

"No. Not even close. He won't leave the guest room, he barely eats." Arin folded his arms across his chest. Suzy placed a comforting hand on Arin's shoulder while Barry started making him a coffee that didn't taste like coffee. 

"What happened?" Suzy asked. Arin huffed a little. He'd been holding in his anger for Dan's sake, but here he could let it out. 

"It's that fucking Brian guy. Dan came home from staying the night at his house absolutely heartbroken. He said Brian was just using him." Arin tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling, trying to contain himself. 

"You mean the Brian guy who just walked in?" Barry asked, nodding over Arin's shoulder. Arin whirled around, his rage coming to a head. This guy had used his boyfriend, and left him heartbroken and he has the balls to walk back into this cafe? Brian looked up in surprise when he heard his name, and smiled at Barry. 

Before Arin even knew what he was doing he was in front of brian, his hands twisted into fists gripping Brian's shoulders and Brian was pinned against the glass of the door behind him. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Arin demanded. Brian looked furious and confused. He pushed Arin off of him and reached into his pocket. To Arin's horror, Brian produced a badge. Arin immediately took a large step back. 

"First of all, assaulting a police office is a felony. Secondly, I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. You have thirty seconds to explain yourself before I have you arrested." Brian spoke in a low voice that left no room to argue. 

"Hang on, fuck. I'm sorry. I didn't know you were a cop. I'm Arin, I'm Dan's boyfriend." Arin hurried out. Brian's a cop? Why didn't dan tell him? Arin decided to worry about that later. 

"That still doesn't explain why you decided to attack me. Dan said it was ok that we were seeing each other." Brian folded his arms across his chest, looking impatient. 

"It is fine that you're seeing each other. What's not fine is you using him! He doesn't deserve to be used and thrown away!" Arin knew he was yelling. The commotion had caused the few customers inside the cafe to look at them. Arin didn't care anymore. He was livid that his boyfriend was laying at home heartbroken. Arin watched as Brian's face melted into one of concern and confusion. 

"Using him? What are you talking about? I'm not using him. I thought our date went really well. I have no intention of using him, I thought we really connected." Brian explained. Arin felt himself deflate. Maybe he had jumped to conclusions. 

"Look, can we sit and talk this out? Now I'm confused." Arin admitted. Brian thought for a moment before nodding. They found a table in a secluded corner. Arin noticed Ross was gone, he had probably bolted when he saw the badge. If it hadn't been for Dan, Arin would have too. "So what exactly happened Friday night?" Arin asked when they had sat down.

"I made dinner, we snuggled on the couch for a while, then we went to the bedroom and did some... things and fell asleep." Brian shrugged. He looked as confused as Arin felt. 

"Did he seem ok afterwards? What did you do right after?" Arin shifted uncomfortably. There was a no details rule for a reason, but Arin knew he had to find out exactly what had made Dan think Brian was using him. 

"He seemed fine. We cleaned up and went to sleep. He was a little quiet but he didn't say anything was wrong."

"Did you snuggle at all?" Arin knew from experience what Dan needed after sex, and he wasn't always vocal about his needs. It was a lot of trial and error. 

"No not really. He didn't seem like he wanted to, and I'm not a very tactile person." Brian raised an eyebrow at Arin's question. Arin groaned, there it was. 

"No he always wants to. He needs snuggles after sex. He must think you're using him because of that." Arin felt relieved they had gotten to the bottom of this. Brian sat back in his chair. He ran a hand through his short hair and sighed. 

"Well, fuck. I never meant to upset him. He hasn't been answering my texts, do you think you could?" Brian looked at Arin hopefully and Arin nodded. 

"I'll talk to him. I got this. And again, I'm really sorry for attacking you. I just got so angry at the thought of someone using Dan." Arin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Brian waved him off. 

"Don't worry. I get it. If someone hurt Dan, I'd probably have the same reaction. He's something special." 

"Yeah, he really is. You have no idea." Arin excused himself to head home and explain to Dan what had really happened. 

Arin found Dan in the same place he had left him, curled up in bed in the guest room. Dan stirred only a little when Arin sat on the bed next to him. "Danny?" Arin asked gently. Dan finally turned to look at him. He had been crying again. Arin tusked gently and reached over to wipe carefully at Dan's tear stained cheek. "I saw Brian at the cafe. We talked. He's not using you." Dans brows furrowed. Arin went on to explain their conversation, and what Brian had said. Dan pulled himself into a sitting position on the bed. He looked down at the blankets. 

"Wow. I feel like an idiot." Dan muttered quietly. Arin laughed gently and leaned over to kiss Dan on the cheek. 

"You're not an idiot. You and Brian just need to communicate more." Dan nodded. He already seemed to be feeling better. Now that the dust had settled, something nagged at Arin. "So did you know Brian was a cop?" Arin asked carefully. Dan looked down again and bit his lip. 

"Yeah. He told me on our first date." Dan admitted sheepishly. 

"A month and a half? You've known he was a cop for a month and a half?!" Arin felt himself getting worked up again. "So when the fuck were you planning on telling me? He knows where we live!" Dan flinched and shifted away from Arin. 

"I'm sorry, ok? I didn't know how to tell you! But Brian isn't a cop-cop. He's a forensic analyst. He just goes to crime scenes and gathers evidence. And he doesn't seem like a typical cop, he's a nice guy! You met him!" Dan tried to defend himself. 

"You better be right about him Dan. I'm trusting you on this." Arin sighed. Dan nodded meekly. 

"I'm really sorry Arin. I didn't mean to hide it from you." Dan said quietly. Arin looked at him and sighed again. He leaned over to kiss Dan gently. 

"I know you didn't. I just got scared. I'm sorry I yelled. Now come on downstairs, I'll make us some lunch ok?" Arin offered up a smile and Dan grinned back. Arin was relieved at that. Dan trailed after him to the kitchen, and sat at the island while Arin cooked. It was a quiet lunch, but it was comfortable. 

Arin just hoped Dan was right about Brian, and he wasn't making a huge mistake.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on tumblr @onlyhereforegobang


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